Discover how to improve your Web-to-Store strategy by using Local Inventory Ads. Retrieve the different steps to complete before implementing a LIA campaign and maintain your data feeds up-to-date with Lengow.
2. WHAT ARE GOOGLE LOCAL INVENTORY ADS?
“Local Inventory Ads” (LIA) are a multichannel advertising format that allows advertisers, via Google
Shopping ads, to display their product catalogue in search results, including products that are
available in physical stores.
For instance, this
microwave is available
in 3 stores nearby
3. LOCAL INVENTORY ADS FEATURES
Indicates whether a
nearby store stocks the
item that has been
searched for
Ads gather results from
stores within a 48 km
radius
It’s always the nearest store
that shows up first
48 km
4. HOW IS IT USEFUL FOR CUSTOMERS?
GOOGLE LOCAL INVENTORY ADS ARE DESIGNED TO FACILITATE THE BUYING PROCESS
FOR CUSTOMERS
With LIA, you can find out:
• The availability and the price of a
product in the closest possible
physical store
• The opening hours of the store
• Directions on how to get there
5. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FOR RETAILERS?
2. Offer flexibility to customers
during their purchase (if they’d
prefer not to pay delivery cost, or if
products are out of stock online)
and therefore improve customer
experience.
3. Develop a network of
physical stores
Create a digital display for
physical stores to ensure a
continual link between
online and offline
presence.
1. Optimise visibility in
Google search results
(particularly on mobile) and
thus increase turnover.
4. Measure performance:
Track the results of your LIA
through your physical store
traffic.
6. AM I ELIGIBLE?
LOCAL INVENTORY ADS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN THESE COUNTRIES :
The prerequisites for using Google LIA:
1. Must have at least one physical store in the target country
2. Must sell physical goods that can be purchased at no additional cost (eg membership fees)
3. The company must protect clients’ personal information
FranceUSA Germany JapanUnited Kingdom Australia
7. HOW TO SET UP LIA
1. Contact Google via this request form
2. Create your Google accounts (Merchant Center, Google My Business Locations and
AdWords)
3. Create and submit the different required feeds (Online product feed, store inventory feed)
4. Activate “Local Inventory Ads” in your shopping ad settings in the AdWords interface
8. - GOOGLE ‘MY BUSINESS’ ADDRESS FEEDS : Addresses of your physical stores
- ONLINE PRODUCT FEEDS : Your online inventory
- IN-STORE INVENTORY FEED : Submit your stock level, the price, and the availability in
each store
- LOCAL PRODUCTS FEED : Availability / Quantity / Price and Store
If you already sell products through Google Shopping and want to set up Local
Inventory Ads, here are the different feeds Google requires:
HOW TO SET UP LIA
9. HOW TO SET UP A NEW FEED
Follow Google’s standard procedure, then select the
appropriate type of feed (Local products/In-store)
NOTE :
- Supported file formats for exporting your feeds differ
between the types of feed
- Products may take up to 2 days to appear
10. REQUIRED ATTRIBUTES TO SUBMIT A FEED
Attribute Necessity
Mandatory
information
• Store code
• Product ID
• Quantity
• Price
Required for all products
Optional
information
• Selling price
• Selling price on actual
date
• Availability
• Restock date
Recommended for every product
feed, to give more information
about the price, quantity, and the
availability of products.
Store
information
(Optional)
• Collection method
• SLA pickup
Recommended for all products
that can be picked up in store
Note: If a mandatory attribute is missed out, the item in questions risks not being included in results.
Furthermore, missing out a recommended attribute can have repercussions on the ad performance.
11. MAPPING DATA BETWEEN DIFFERENT FEEDS
‘My Business’ addresses feed
In-store inventory feed
Local product feed
Online product feed
For a better understanding of how the different feeds are connected:
12. IN SUMMARY
The first source of
data...
... is connected to
the second source of
data...
... via attributes ... ... in order to ...
Online product feed*
*If you have one
Local product feed
itemid, webitemid, or unique
product identifiers (eg GTIN,
Brand, MPN)
Bring together your essential
information about a product
being sold online (image,
description, etc)
Local product feed
In-store
inventory feed
itemid, a unique identifier for
each of your products that
you use through each feed to
identify the same product.
Identify available products in
every physical store
In-store
inventory feed
Address feed
Store_code, a unique
identifier for each store
whose address is entered in
your Google My Business
account.
Show information about the
shop where the product is
available (eg opening times,
address)
13. Feed Recommended amount of updates
Local product feed At least once a week
In-store inventory feed
At least once a day, but can be sent several times a day to
update certain segments of your inventory
Online product feed At least once a month
UPDATE FEEDS
Remember to regularly re-import your feed to keep your data up-to-date!
14. HOW DOES LENGOW WORK WITH GOOGLE LIA ?
Lengow saves time and increases
the visibility of your products by
optimising the different feeds,
which are then correctly set up for
export.
You can manage your feeds
directly from the Lengow solution,
which will also allow you to
monitor your performance
statistics.
15. In order to set up your in-store product feed within Lengow, you just have to create
2 additional feeds:
- The product inventory feed (to give stock information for your store)
- In-store product feed and then match it with your Google Shopping feed
You can choose to separate your "Shopping" and "In-Store" ads or connect them to get hybrid ads. If you
are a chain of stores with the same products in stock and at the same price, it is possible to use a
simplified feed.
HOW DOES LENGOW WORK WITH LIA?
16. PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS WITH ADWORDS
CONTROL AND UPDATE YOUR LIA
CAMPAIGNS WITH ADWORDS:
- Increase your bids on mobile ads to ensure that you drive customers to your store when
searching via mobile
- Determine the physical stores with highest potential ("Dimensions" tab and then
"View"="Store_ID") and adjust your bids based on profitability
- Define automatic bids on your ad campaigns: find out which hours are likely to see the most
customers visiting your store
17. OUR ADVICE & RECOMMENDATIONS
THINK MOBILE:
Optimise your Local Inventory Ads for mobile:
A majority of consumers now use their smartphone or tablet to do their research before making a
purchase. The mobile sector now accounts for almost 50% of e-commerce sales! Do not neglect it!
USE LIA FOR EXPECTED STORE OPENINGS:
Launch a Local Inventory Ads campaign in parallel with a store opening!
This will allow your brand to immediately benefit from an important visibility in its local area, the
perfect way to start off business for your shop!
18. TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LOCAL INVENTORY ADS
CHECK OUT OUR DEDICATED GUIDE
TO LOCAL INVENTORY ADS:
➢ ALL OF OUR ADVICE AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN
ONE HANDY GUIDE!
Download the guide